1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a system structured and configured to track, monitor and report the cleaning, disinfecting, and/or sterilizing of the head portion of a stethoscope. In particular, the system comprises a stethoscope cleaning assembly cooperatively structured and configured to clean the head portion of the stethoscope, for instance, via the application of a cleaning fluid, solution, or barrier thereto. The system further comprises a monitoring device and a cooperatively structured and disposed reader assembly. The monitoring device is unique to, or otherwise serves to identify, the stethoscope, an associated physician, and/or a physician's identification tag. The reader assembly is structured and disposed to detect, identify, and record data pertaining to the monitoring device and/or stethoscope upon cleaning the head portion, or otherwise upon disposition of the head portion into a proximate or cleaning relation with the stethoscope cleaning assembly, as well storing collected identification or cleaning data or transmitting the data via wired or wireless means to a central or remote date storage and collection system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well recognized in the medical profession, and commonly acknowledged by many individuals not directly associated with the medical care industry, the use of a stethoscope by health care providers is routine. As typically applied, the head and/or diaphragm portion of the stethoscope is normally placed in direct contact with the skin of the patient at various locations over the patient's body. In applying the stethoscope in this manner, and in particular in situations where the stethoscope head or diaphragm may be exposed to the bodily fluids of the patient, the transmission of infection, bacteria, diseases, etc., from patient to patient is a distinct possibility.
While some stethoscopes are structured for disposal after each use, a great number of stethoscopes are non-disposable and are intended for continued and repeated use. This latter category of stethoscopes are typically carried by the health care provider on a substantially continuous basis and used repeatedly and successively for examination of multiple patients. In order to avoid the transmission of infection, bacteria, diseases, etc., from patient to patient when using this latter category of instruments, attempts have been made to facilitate at least a minimal cleaning and/or disinfecting of the head portion of the stethoscope. However, because of time demands, emergency situations and other situations which frequently occur, a health care provider or physician may skip a cleaning or only perform a minimal cleaning of the instrument on an occasional basis.
To better appreciate the requirements necessary to accomplish a proper cleaning and disinfecting of the stethoscope head, it is important to understand the various structural components thereof and their intended use during an examination procedure. More specifically, the stethoscope head typically includes a diaphragm portion comprising a thin disk of appropriate material that is disposed in confronting relation to a patient's skin. As such, the diaphragm forms an acoustical seal with the contacted portion of the patient. In addition, the head portion also includes a ring or rim which retains or is otherwise disposed and structured for supportive engagement with the diaphragm. Finally, the stethoscope head includes a base or spine of the head formed of metal or other composite base material that is structured to serve as the location where the user may grasp the device comfortably, usually with a thumb and one or two fingers of a single hand. A magnification and transmission of the sounds detected during the examination procedure is thereby accomplished. In addition, an appropriate conduit or tubing which may be formed of a rubber or like material is secured to the head and extends outwardly there from so as to interconnect the ear pieces of the stethoscope to the head portion.
Health care associated (nosocomial) infections are a growing concern for hospitals in the United States and worldwide. Approximately, two million patients admitted to U.S. hospitals each year acquire a health care associated infection. Of these, more than seventy thousand will die. These infections add about $30 billion annually to U.S. healthcare cost. The transfer of pathogenic bacteria from one patient to another is a major cause of healthcare associated infections. This transfer may be facilitated by healthcare workers who do not adequately clean and disinfect their hands and/or patient-care equipment after patient contact.
Stethoscopes harbor pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria may be transferred intact to human skin directly from a stethoscope diaphragm. The stethoscope diaphragm and rim (the portions of the stethoscope that directly contact the patient's skin) may be adequately disinfected and cleaned by one or several wipes with a prepackaged isopropyl alcohol pad or swab. However, the majority of healthcare workers do not clean or disinfect their stethoscope after each patient encounter. Less than half of workers clean their stethoscopes daily or even weekly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that healthcare workers dedicate the use of non-critical care equipment to a single patient. If this is not possible, then it is recommended that these items be adequately cleaned and disinfected before being used on another patient. These recommendations are specifically for patients that are known or suspected to harbor pathogenic organisms. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that for all patients receiving care in a hospital, an item of patient care equipment must not be reused on another patient until it has been cleaned and reprocessed appropriately. The American Medical Association has also resolved that healthcare providers should frequently clean their stethoscopes to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections. In particular, it recommended that even in the event the stethoscope or other device does not come into contact with a patient, it should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least once every three hours.
In light of the critical need for health care providers to timely and adequately clean and disinfect his or her stethoscope or other medial device, there is a need for a system that is structured and configured to track, monitor, and report the cleaning of the medical devices. In particular, there is a need to monitor and track a physician's cleaning activities relating to the stethoscope.